Protesters baton-charged in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of people including students, lawyers, political activists and members of the civil society staged a protest demonstration against the government policies and demanded restoration of the deposed judges and lifting of ban on the Geo TV.
The youth of Joint Students Movement and people relating to different walks of life gathered at the Aabpara Chowk and started chanting slogans against the government. Police resorted to baton charge to disperse the mob when they reached near the Aabpara Police Station, causing injuries to many protesters. Angry people hurled stones at the police and damaged two police vehicles while two police officials, including the driver of a police vehicle, were injured.
Meanwhile, a crackdown against lawyers, students and key political leaders of opposition has been launched to counter the increasing trend of protest demonstrations for the independence of the media and the judiciary.
"People involved in breaching peace would be held," SSP Islamabad Kaleem Imam said when contacted for his comments, adding that miscreants would be arrested to maintain order in the metropolis.
The SSP said, "I do not want to spoil the peaceful atmosphere of Islamabad but those found creating law and order situation will not be spared." He added that the miscreants pelted stones and injured two police officials and damaged police vehicles in Tuesday’s rally.
"Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is scheduled to meet the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday, will be intercepted at borderline of 'Red Zone' and will not be allowed to cross the line," an officer responsible for maintaining law and order said when contacted.
A list of over 100 lawyers, student leaders, political activists and members of civil society has been handed over to the raiding parties, sources told The News. Police parties kept raiding houses of lawyers including President Islamabad Bar, Haroon-ur-Rasheed and former President Bar Tariq Jahangiri. However, no arrest was made till the filing of this report.
Security at barriers set on the way to the Judicial Colony has been beefed up to intercept the leader of the PML-N Mian Nawaz Sharif and hundreds of personnel of law enforcing agencies have been deployed in and around the colony.
Online adds: Hundreds of students observed a protest day on Wednesday against the imposition of emergency and the curbs on the media and the judiciary and clashed with the police while marching towards the house of sacked SC chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to present flowers to him.
The students wanted to present flowers to the deposed SC chief justice but were stopped by the federal and the Punjab police in front of the GPO. The police baton-charged the rally to disburse the protestors. The students also pelted stones at the police.
Earlier, the students belonging to Joint Student Movement, the Islami Jamiat Talba and different colleges and universities of the capital protested in front of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp office.
Addressing the protestors, President RIUJ Afzal Butt said that after journalists and lawyers, students were also joining the movement for the restoration of the judiciary and in the favour of free media and the movement would be continued till the restoration of the pre-November 3 situation.
The rally was participated by Islami Jamiat Talba, Islamic University, Quaid-e-Azam University, Joint Student Movement, Gordon College, Punjab College, NUML and Asghar Mall College.
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